Improvement in boots



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EARLE D. COFFEE, OF HOLLISTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BOOTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,723, dated September5, 1865.

To all 'whom it may concern Beit known that I, EARLE D. COFFEE, ofHolliston, in the county of Middlesex and State ot' Massachusetts, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture of Boots orShoes; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in thefollowing specification and represented in the accompan ying drawings,ot' whichy Figure l denotes a longitudinal section ot' a boot asconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig.2 is a bottom view ofit.

The invention in question is an improvement in making what is termed atapped77 boot or shoe. It not only effects an important saving insole-leather in comparison with what is required in making a boot orshoe with one eontinuous sole arranged between the inner sole and thetap or taps, but it produces a much lighter and more agreeable boot orshoe for slimmer wear.

In carrying out my invention I form the outer sole, the shank, and theinner heel-lift in three separate pieces of leather, a b c, and Iarrange them so that the shank-piece b shall be overlapped by each pieceot' the other two.

Instead of making the shank-piece b in one piece with the sole or layerot leather which isat'tixeddirectlyagainst theupperwhenlasted, I applyor arrange a welt, d, between the upper and tap and sole, and cause suchwelt to extend around the boot from one side of theV shank to the otherside thereof. The space within the welt or encompassed by it I fill witha mass,f, of cork, or other suitable material less expensive than thesame amount ot' leather used in the outer or tap sole, a. At the heel,also, I apply a welt or runner between the inner lift and the upperleather, and so as to extend around the heel, and have its two ends abutagainst the shank-piece b. The space within the heel-Welt or runner Ilill with a mass of leather or other suitable material cheaper than theleather ordinarily used in making the heel-piece c.

The tap a and the heel-lift c are to be ap plied to the shank b, asshown in Fig. l, and the welts d e and the upper and insole and tap-soleand lift c may be secured together by sewing or by pegs or nails, as maybe desirable, after which the remaining heel-liftsz' i,

in such number as may be necessary to complete the heel, may be built onthe lift c and one another in the ordinary way.

I claim as my invention- The improved mode of making the outer sole of atap boot or shoe-Viz., of the separate pieces a b c, the welts d e, andthe Iillingsf g, arranged and applied together and with respect to theinsoleh substantially as described.

EARLE D. COFFEE.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, Jr.

